An Illinois court will hear a proposed class action lawsuit against Match Group and Tinder, based on claims that the dating brand illegally stored biometric data of users.
The lawsuit alleges that Tinder’s storage of this sensitive data violated Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act. Data such as physical characteristics and body measurements are collected as part of Tinder’s photo verification features, the lawsuit states.
Not only does the lawsuit claim that this data is improperly stored and without consent, but also that Tinder does not sufficiently inform users about how this date will be managed, Law360 reports.
Those leading the complaint have warned of the implications if this biometric data were to fall into the hands of hackers. Unlike passwords, for example, biometrics are permanent features of the individuals which can’t be changed.
The lawsuit is filed by a group of Illinois residents who look to represent all state citizens that have shared their biometric data with Tinder. They are looking for statutory damages and hope the court will ensure that the platform stores biometric data in accordance with state law.